Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1887-05-07
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Facts About Planets.

E +
Venus, SO well known 10 us all as the
loveliest object in the heavens, the eve
ming and the morning star, resembles
closely our own earth Its size is about
the same, its diameter being 1850
| miles; its day is almost the same length
and It's density is rather less than five
times that of water. It reEolyes round
the sun at distance of 6o,oo0,00
| miles in tho space of 224 days. Like
Mercury, however, Venus is moonless.
Passing the earth in the meantime, we
came to the. Well-known red planet
Mars. This planet is particularly in
teresting IN many points OF view.
Next to Mercury, it is the smallest of
the four inferior planets,.its diameter
being only 1920 miles, OF little more
than the earth or Venus. Its distance
from the sun is III 100000 miles, and
| it completes its circuit in 6S7 days.
The length of its days does not differ
materially from that of our own. Mars
/ has two moons, and one of them pre-
sents a phenomenon unique in the sys-
ten. No other moon behaves like this
one, for it goes round Mars about three
times every day; that is to say, it goes
faster round Mars than Mars does on
its own axis. Imagine our moon rising
and setting three times every twenty
four hours. Another interesting fea-
ture in Mars is this: We can see
through our telescopes what seems to
be the confagration of its continents
and oceans and also accumulation of
snow at its poles.
/ We next turn our attention to the
other group of planets Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, and Neptune. These are dis
tinguisbed by their enormous size, i'm
mense distance from the sun, rapid
revolution on their own axis, and very
small density. The change from Mars
to Jupiter is indeed remarkable. The
latter planet, familiar to every obser-
yer of the heavens, is indeed a giant
among giants. In mass it is equal to
all other planets put together, its di-
ameter being 10 less than S., 900 miles,
and its distance from the sun 6S2, o00,-
600 miles. It takes 1882 days to COM
plete its yearly revolution. Although
of such enormous dimensions, it turns
on its own axis in less than ten hours,
From the small density Q.3S) of Jupi-
ter we should imagine it to be composed,
in great part at least, of fluid or case
Gus matter not yet cooled sufficiently
to form solid land. From certain phe-
nomena on its surface it is almost COM
} pletely enveloped in clouds, and it is
doubtful if we have actually seen the
real solid nucleus of this planet. Jul
J piter is attended by four moons, which
: reyolye around him at various distances.
The study Of these bodies is of great
| interest; from watching their move
meDts we got the first hint of velocity
of light. Next in order in our outward
journey comes Saturn, at the distance
of SS4 ,O00,0 900 miles from the sun, and
taking no less than 1O,759 days to COM
plete its revolution around that lum-
mary. This planet though less than
Jupiter, is still of gigantic dimensions,
its diameter being 1900 miles. Sat
urn is the highest of all the planets
its density being only 0.75, so that if
| placed in a huge ocean it would float
= with fourth Of it; bulk up above the
, level of the water. The most remark
able thing, however, about this planet,
is the system of rings by which it is
surrounded. What these rings are
have long been a puzzle to astrono-
mers, but the most plausible explain
alton seems to be that they are compos-
!, ed of myriad hosts of small metoric bod
les circulating at some distance
! round the body of the planet. Saturn
; has no less than eight moons under her
control and if IL has any inhabitants
3 like ourselves-which is not likely,
). however-the heavens must be d
7 strange sight to them, with these eight
: moons ind meteoric swarms.-C asseWs
Family Magazine.